IOC awards 2016-2020 broadcast rights in Australia

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded Seven West Media Ltd. (Seven) the Australian broadcast rights for the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang in 2018, and the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo in 2020, as well as the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014.

Seven has acquired broadcast rights on all media platforms, and has committed to once again displaying its Golden Rings winning production abilities for the benefit of the Australian public. The agreement also includes an unprecedented commitment over the course of the partnership to support the IOC’s goals. This commitment includes promoting Olympism, Olympic sports, health, education and youth sport across Seven’s media platforms, including its television network, newspapers, magazines and online media.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “Seven has a lot of experience in broadcasting major sports events, and first broadcast an Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956. We are delighted that we will work with Seven until at least 2020. The IOC enjoys long term partnerships and this agreement is something of a homecoming between us and Seven. Seven has made a concrete commitment to help promote the Olympic Movement and the Olympic values, not only during each edition of the Games, but all year round, and this was an important consideration in our decision making. The IOC redistributes over 90 per cent of its revenues for the benefit of the wider Olympic Movement, and the funding generated by this agreement will support sport around the world, future organisers of the Games, and ultimately the athletes themselves.”

The Chairman of Seven West Media Ltd. Mr. Kerry Stokes AC said:" We are delighted to once again be entrusted with bringing the Olympic Games to all Australians. The Olympic movement and Seven have enjoyed a long and deep partnership since the Games in Melbourne. We are looking forward celebrating our five decades association with the Olympics in Rio and to taking this partnership to a new level over the coming decade."

IOC Vice-President John Coates, a member of the IOC’s TV Rights and New Media Commission, said: “I am very pleased to have finalised this long-term agreement, and our work with Seven begins right away planning for this summer’s 2nd Youth Olympic Games. We’ve had a long relationship with Seven, which last covered the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and we are happy to welcome them back to the Olympic team. Seven will work closely with the IOC to make this a successful partnership, not only in terms of great broadcast coverage of the Games, but also support for the promotion of Olympic sports and the Olympic values.”

Seven West Media Ltd CEO, Tim Worner said: “The Olympic Games are much more than just a sporting event, this is still the greatest show on earth and we are both privileged and excited to bring them and all they stand for to the Australian public. This commitment and investment in our biggest ever Olympic broadcast agreement confirms our belief in the future of free-to-air Television in Australia. But more than that, it confirms our confidence in being able to provide popular and profitable content across all our platforms, now and in the future. We don’t look at this as a series of 17 day events, our work as an Olympic partner starts today and will continue every day for up to the next ten years. It’s well known Australians are amongst the keenest sports watchers in the world and to have two of the three Games in our time zone, possibly more, and Rio’s best competition in our daylight hours, allows Seven West Media to maximise its investment.”

IOC: International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach today revealed the 40 proposals that make up Olympic Agenda 2020, a strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement, which will be discussed and voted on by the full IOC membership at the 127th IOC Session this 8 and 9 December in Monaco.

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The AOC is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation, committed to the development of youth and sport. It is our responsibility to select, send and fund Australian Teams to the Olympic Games.

This is achieved by the support of our sponsors, contributions from the Australian Olympic Foundation (AOF), fundraising at corporate events and the backing of State and Territory Governments who donate to our Olympic Team Appeal.

The Australian Olympic Committee thanks all of our partners for their generous support of the Olympic athletes.